And the Winner Is…

Paris, France — It was a spectacular award ceremony featuring spectacular guests and a spectacular car. A stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B was the winner of the prestigious The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2025. The exclusive honouree is selected from a distinguished group of vehicles that have won significant awards at the previous year’s most recognized events. The gala event was a glamorous and star-studded affair, featuring appearances by international celebrities including renowned actress Nicole Kidman and The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie, the chairman of Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels owners and operators of the Peninsula Hotel Group and a passionate enthusiast of motorcars. 

“I am thrilled and deeply honoured to accept The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award,” said Deborah Keller on behalf of The Keller Collection, owner of the winning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B. “This unique vehicle exemplifies the golden era of Italian automotive design and craftsmanship, and every time I see it, I am reminded why such magnificent automobiles deserve to be preserved and celebrated.” 

Left: Nicole Kidman celebrates The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award in front of the Peninsula Hotel in Paris. Photo Agence Pancake, courtesy Peninsula. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette. Right: Left to Right: Nicole Kidman, Deborah Keller (the owner of the winning car) and businesswoman Soon Hagerty The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award gala. Photo Agence Pancake, courtesy Peninsula. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

Launched in 1937, the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B is regarded as one of the fastest and most exclusive Italian cars of the late 1930s. While most 8C 2900Bs wore Touring coachwork, the winning example enjoys a far more personal design. Its original owner, famous Italian race car driver Giuseppe “Nino” Farina who would become the first official Formula One World Champion in 1950, commissioned a custom body that reflected his family’s deep roots in Italian automotive design. The result was the only 8C 2900B ever fitted with Stabilimenti Farina coachwork, which was founded by Nino’s father in 1906. The vehicle also features styling contributions from Nino’s uncle, Battista “Pinin” Farina, one of Italy’s most celebrated automotive designers. Following the award ceremony last January 26th, the winning car was on display at Rétromobile, the high regarded Paris-based classic car show, from 28 January to 1 February 2026. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette https://www.peninsula.com/en/paris/5-star-luxury-hotel-16th-arrondissement

See also: https://thegourmetgazette.com/2026/01/27/a-gourmet-gazette-fine-find/